Karma
by New Decade
Summary: Rule number one, never mess with Calleigh Duquesne. Don't mess with her mind, her friends or her heart. Karma will find you and won't show mercy on your soul.


Happy Mothers Day to mothers everywhere! I watched a CSI:M re-run from season 4 and got inspired.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p>The sun hit the shimmering water and reflected off the surface to such a degree that it would practically blind anyone who drove on a road anywhere near the water; a definite possibility while living in Miami. Peter Elliot squinted against the light as he drove towards the Miami-Dade Crime Lab; he had been called out on a case involving bills that they had been tracking in a Georgia gang, but suddenly they had appeared in Florida. Though he had been assured that "Miami's finest CSIs are on the job", it was apparent his supervisors wanted him to be involved with the investigation. Though he knew how Horatio felt about people from outside his team working on cases and how many of the people in the lab would look at him with frowns on their faces, Peter couldn't deny the mild excitement had stirred within him when he had gotten this call. There had always been a special someone at MDPD to make his rare visits more intriguing.<p>

Though it had been years since he was last at her lab, he would never forget how she looked, how she sounded, he would never forget anything about Calleigh Duquesne. He remembered everything from the way her pale pink lips spread into a smile across her face to the twinkle in her emerald eyes she got while trying to figure out how evidence could convict a killer. Now he was going to have the chance to refresh the memory.

He knew that he wasn't Calleigh's favorite person and that when they last saw each other her trust in him had been dwindling. But she was still civil to him whenever they saw one another and so maybe he could earn back her trust and they could continue with their friendship, possibly more.

Peter knew it was a long shot for her to let him pursue her like that now, but he was willing to take a risk—something he hardly ever did.

The beige building came into view and he pulled up in front of one of the palm trees.

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><p>Very little intimidated Peter, but walking down the halls of CSI gave him an apprehensive feeling; perhaps anxious would be a better way to describe it. Something in his gut told him he was making a mistake trying to approach Calleigh the way he wanted, but very rarely did he run on feelings as opposed to actual evidence, so he rounded the feeling off as nerves and continued down the hall of the lab.<p>

At first, he didn't recognize any of the faces. Not in Fingerprints, not in QD and, when he went to Firearms, there wasn't a soul in sight. It wasn't until he approached DNA did a familiar face finally appear.

A woman with brunette hair stood in front of a processing computer screen. Natalia, however, wasn't in the room alone. Gently sitting on her hip was a baby, probably only six months old with tuffs of dark hair on her head. Her head was resting against Natalia's shoulder and her eyes were closed. Natalia was bouncing the baby in a soothing motion as Peter walked in.

"Long time, no see," Natalia commented

"Things have been busy," Peter shrugged. "How have you been?"

"Good," she nodded. "We've been busy ourselves."

"I can see that," he smiled, nodding towards the baby. "She's cute."

"Oh," Natalia chuckled, shaking her head, a bit embarrassed. "She is cute, but she's not my daughter."

"Oh, sorry," Peter apologized, laughing a little at his ignorance.

"It's okay," she assured him. "By the way, Horatio is interrogating a suspect, he should be up soon."

"Okay, thank you. I'll wait for him outside his office. I'll be seeing you," he said before walking out of her lab.

Natalia sighed to herself, relieved she wasn't the one who would have to give Peter the details of the case. She knew exactly how it would go; she would explain how a member of a gang had been found dead with bills in his wallet, bills that had been processed by the Feds and lightly radiated for tracking by said officers. She would have explained why she was running DNA from the pocket knife that was used as a murder weapon, describe to him the tire treads and all other evidence they had found or currently processing. However, were she to turn around and ask him why the Feds had issued the bills into the gangs in the first place and how they got them in, she knew the response she would get is "I'm sorry, Ms. Boa Vista, but that is classified information."

She turned to the baby girl beside her, smiling slightly as her green eyes began to open. Natalia moved one of her hands to soothingly rub her back.

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><p>Peter waited outside Horatio's office, constantly checking his watch. Though the face of the clock read he had been waiting a mere five minutes, it felt eons longer; then again, he wasn't a patient man. Then he heard her voice, that gorgeous Southern drawl approaching the very spot he was standing.<p>

The sound of footsteps came up the stairs and the voices of Horatio and Calleigh came closer to him, close enough he was able to catch on to a bit of their conversation.

"So the Feds have been following this gang for months in Atlanta, but now their money has suddenly ended up in Miami with another gang?" Peter heard Calleigh ask, no doubt wanting to be clear on all details of the case.

"Yes," Horatio answered, deep in thought. "I'm thinking the member we found dead is part of a new branch of the gang in Atlanta."

"That would make sense, our vic is originally from Georgia," she replied, their voices still coming closer. "The suits arrive yet?"

Peter tried not to get offended by her tone, reminding himself this team didn't take too kindly to others stepping in on their cases. But no sooner had the words escaped her mouth did they step onto the platform outside Horatio's office.

"Never mind," Calleigh murmured to Horatio.

"Special Agent Elliot," Horatio greeted him, his voice professional.

"Lieutenant," Peter nodded at the red head then faced the woman beside him. "Calleigh."

Her face pulled into a friendly grin, though her demeanor wasn't accepting him; then again she wasn't being rejecting either. She appeared nonchalant about his presence and that stung him more than anything; he was just there, meaninglessly existing.

"Are you going to be able to tell us anything about this gang?" Horatio asked.

"Not much, most of it is classified," Peter admitted, sadly. "But you guys are right. The branch from Atlanta is expanding to Miami. We're guessing the two establishments are exchanging money, drugs and possibly guns. But we're thinking these smaller gangs can lead us to the big guys."

"You think they are just pawns in the operation?" Calleigh inferred.

"That's right," Peter nodded, he was about to continue when a cell phone cut him off.

"Excuse me," Horatio said, apologetically as he moved from the two to answer his phone.

The distance between the lieutenant and the other two was enough to engage in private conversation.

"How've you been?" Peter asked.

"Good," Calleigh smiled. "Really good. How about you?"

"Um…okay, I guess," he shrugged. "It's good to see you again"

"You too," she nodded, Peter couldn't tell whether she was telling the truth or not, but he went with it and decided to make his move.

"You know, Calleigh, we haven't seen each other in a long time, so you want to go out for a drink when we get off and catch up?"

Calleigh rolled her lips and hesitated. "Um…Peter, I don't think that would be very appropriate."

Peter nodded in understanding; one name instantly came to his mind; Monica, his ex-fiancée. He had been secretive and he failed to tell Calleigh the whole truth, an action which hurt her. Then events throughout the months proceeding ruined all trust she used to have vanished.

"Look, about what happened, I truly am sorry and-."

"No, no, Peter," she interrupted him, laughingly. "That's the past, I'm not angry. That's not why I'm not going to grab a drink."

"Why aren't you, then?" he asked.

Calleigh sighed. "Because things have changed."

"Like what?"

Calleigh felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her and she felt guilty about what she was about to do. Not because she still had feelings for Peter, those had vanished long ago, but rather because she had been in his position before, thinking there was hope to build to a relationship, but then to have those dreams be destroyed. But she wasn't about to do the same as Peter had done to her and lead him on. She was going to tell him the truth, here and now.

Calleigh raised up her left hand, palm facing her and her thumb moving pointedly to the wedding band and engagement ring on her ring finger.

"This for starters," she sighed, guiltily.

Peter pressed his lips in a hard line to try and prevent any hurtful words from escaping or any indication of the pain he felt. He nodded in understanding, trying to ignore the sharp twisting in his stomach.

Calleigh lowered her arm, her eyes falling onto her watch, eyes widening in slight surprise.

"Shoot," she muttered. "I've gotta go."

She walked towards Horatio, who was still conversing on his phone, and quietly mouthed something Peter couldn't see. Whatever she said, Horatio nodded in acceptance and Calleigh turned to leave the two alone.

"I'll see you later," she grinned at Peter, who attempted to smile back through the pain.

Calleigh sighed to herself in righteous guilt as she walked down the stairs and toward DNA, pushing Peter out of her mind.

She stepped into DNA, where Natalia was filling out a report and holding Melissa, the baby, in her free arm. Melissa was merrily sucking on her pacifier as she rested contently in Natalia's arm.

Natalia looked up when Calleigh walked in and smiled. "Hey, Calleigh."

"Hey," she replied as Natalia put her pen down and gently passed Melissa over to her mother. Calleigh took the baby and smiled as she held her in her arms. Despite how often she held her and Eric's child in her arms, the wonderment she felt never vanished; if anything it had intensified. Today had been one of those rare days that Melissa was in the lab. Normally, Carmen, Eric's mother and the one who watched Melissa throughout the day, was taking care of one of her other grandchildren—who had been stricken with chickenpox—Calleigh and Eric got Melissa for the day at the lab.

"Hi, baby," she cooed as she kissed Melissa's forehead before turning to Natalia. "Thanks for watching her, Nat, you're a lifesaver."

"Oh, it was no problem," Natalia assured her. "Seriously, anytime you need a babysitter, I'm available."

Calleigh chuckled. "Thanks. Well, we'd better get going."

"Oh, time for her to get those shots, huh?" she asked, recalling how Eric had mentioned that Melissa was going in for the round of shots most infants received at her age.

"Yep," Calleigh nodded, adjusting Melissa on her hip. "Wish us luck," she sighed as the two began to exit the lab.

"Good luck," Natalia called after them, chuckling lightly to herself.

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><p>After Calleigh left Peter and Horatio earlier that day, Peter thought she vanished, for he didn't see her for about two hours after. But he supposed it was a good thing, not seeing her. The knife of pain was repetitively stabbing him in the heart ever since he saw those rings on her finger.<p>

But he managed to push her out of his mind long enough to focus on the case-which had been wrapped up and solved without a lot of his input. The murderer had been brought to justice, the theory of two gang branches had been branches had been confirmed and they had found the larger operation behind the gang—drug smuggling. But that case had been completely turned over to the cops in Atlanta and, of course, the CSI team in Miami—Peter's expertise were no longer required.

With that thought in mind, he began to leave, only to be stopped by something that caught his attention in the break room. He saw through the glass wall a sight that made his heart plummet. Calleigh was sitting on the black couch and was cradling a baby in her arms. Though he was standing from a distance, Peter recognized the baby girl as the very one Natalia had been holding earlier.

_"She's not my daughter." _Peter heard Natalia's voice echo in his head and he was now oh-so clear of that reality, for with the soft motherly smile Calleigh had on her lips, there was no denying that the baby had to have been Calleigh's daughter.

Another voice came from inside the break room; muffled slightly by the by the glass but coherent enough for Peter to understand what he was saying. Peter turned his head in the direction of the voice that asked, "How did the shots go?"

Peter was surprised by who he saw. The tall bronze skinned man Peter had hardly spoken to was testing formula in a bottle on his skin as he smiled a handsome grin towards Calleigh and the baby. The man was Eric Delko. He looked at Calleigh and her child as though they were the only two things tying him to the planet, with such love and devotion it was almost unreal.

But for Peter it was all too real.

"Fine," Calleigh shrugged a shoulder. "She didn't take too kindly for them. But no one likes getting shots do they, Mel?" Calleigh whispered to her daughter.

The baby squirmed in Calleigh's arms and nestled herself closer to her mother's body. Calleigh smiled and softly reached up to stroke the baby's short, dark hair.

Eric began to walk over to them, a bottle in hand.

"Thanks," Calleigh whispered as she took the bottle from Eric to begin to feed the baby, Mel, Calleigh had called her. Eric took a seat beside them, letting one of his arms rest on the back of the couch behind Calleigh. His fingers did brush intentionally against one of her shoulders, almost flirtatiously, an action that made Peter cringe. Calleigh shot him a look of warning, almost disapproval at his action, but her eyes still held that warmth and a smile was still formed on her lips.

She continued to feed the baby, who sucked contently on the bottle. But after awhile it was apparent that the arm holding the bottle to getting tired. But Eric reached up to support her elbow and lessen the strain. Calleigh smiled up at him gratefully before leaning slightly into him.

Peter sighed sadly as he began to walk away. His throat was tight and his legs transformed from being made of muscle and tissue into lead. This had completely blindsided him. Calleigh was living the life he had been certain he and Monica could have been living, the one he thought Calleigh and himself had a chance at potentially living.

But were he to say the world was unjust, he knew he would be lying. Peter had hurt Calleigh by omitting his feelings towards Monica, but now _she _was the one living the life he had hoped one day to live; married, in love and with children.

Maybe Peter got what he deserved, maybe it was a mere coincidence, but karma was a force Peter had never expected to settle the score in a game he tragically lost.

He exited the building at entered his car as he began to drive from MDPD and all the hurt and pain its walls held. The spirit he had driving along the causeway that morning had evaporated and he was now functioning on autopilot as the sun set, the promise of a happy tomorrow dwindling for Peter.


End file.
